8/9/04

Other things to do in Indianapolis

he volume of nostalgic 'chatter' on my personal network indicates that the 50th U.S. Nationals will attract its largest crowd in years. Besides Indy's first Cacklefest and other official activities honoring this golden anniversary, visitors to Indiana can participate in a couple of independent, off-site events within easy driving range of Indianapolis Raceway Park. Memorabilia-dealer Mike Goyda hosts a one-man sale on Saturday night, September 4, at the airport Adam's Mark Hotel (www.goyda.com), followed on Sunday night, September 5, by the Drag Racing Memorabilia Society Of America's annual collectibles show at Clermont's Waterfront Motel, presented by Doug McCabe (bigwrench1@DONet.com). Among other reasons for attending both shows, I'm going because I'll get to visit with old friends from whom I've become separated by IRP's reserved-seating segregation.

Another mandatory destination for this nostalgia nut is the region of Indiana in which James Dean was born, raised and buried. In the same month that NHRA launched its Nationals to little attention, the world was rocked by the news of this actor's tragic death, at age 24. Though 49 years have since passed, Dean fans still flock to central Indiana to visit his birthplace, his grave site, and the farm where he was raised. Not a day goes by that some visitor isn't spotted in Fairmount's cemetery by Coy Winslow, a second cousin who grew up in the same farmhouse that Jimmy occupied from age nine until he graduated from Fairmount High and moved to Los Angeles. Coy's father, Marcus, still lives on the Winslow farm, which looks much like it did when Marcus and his famous cousin played there in the 1940s. So does the brick high school (which is undergoing a long-overdue restoration) and the block-long business district. A farming community just far enough west of Interstate 69 to avoid losing its Midwestern charm, Fairmount's population of 3000 is virtually unchanged in the half-century since Jimmy came home from California for the last time.

Twenty-four years doesn't seem like much of a lifetime in which to generate memorabilia, until one comes face to face with the 1000-plus artifacts on display at the James Dean Gallery in nearby Gas City (off Exit 59 of I-69, between Indianapolis and Ft. Wayne). That's not even counting all the books and photos and clippings on file in the research library, which number in the thousands. It's immediately apparent how owner David Loehr acquired his nickname as 'The Dean Of Deanabilia.

Now 54, the transplanted New Yorker began collecting this stuff in 1974 and never stopped, obviously. Fifteen years ago, he started opening up his Fairmount home to the fans who'd heard about the world's largest James Dean collection and came knocking at his door. Ultimately, the memorabilia filled the entire first floor of that house, plus multiple self-storage units. This spring, he moved it all into a brand-new, 7200-square-foot building inspired by what Loehr describes as 'the Golden Age of Hollywood; 1930s' art-deco design.'

All-new 7200-square-foot building is shown on opening day, last May. Festivities included a hot-rod show hosted by the Road Rockets of Indianapolis. (Good Communications photo by Dave Wallace)

A 35-seat theater continuously shows film of the actor's stage and screen work, including public-service TV spots. Entire rooms illustrate the various stages of Jimmy's life and career, laid out in chronological order. Each of his 1955-56 feature films (East Of Eden; Rebel Without A Cause; Giant) gets its own room of related exhibits, including clothing he wore during filming. The final stage of the tour -- my favorite -- is devoted to Dean's vehicles and racing. Its centerpiece is a running replica of the 1200-pound Porsche 550 Spyder that James and his mechanic, Rolf Wutherich, were taking to Salinas for what would have been Dean's fourth California Sports Car Club event. (For the record: Between March and May 1955, Dean, driving a slower 356-model roadster, won his first-ever qualifying race at Palm Springs, finishing third overall; won class and finished ninth in Bakersfield; then ran as high as fourth in Santa Barbara before burning a piston. Motorsports writers and his competitors regarded Jimmy as a legitimate and talented driver.)